Marriage Survey Form

Assalamu Alaikum, Your answers to the following survey will help Muslims learn about marriage and divorce among Muslims. All data will be used in a very non personal way. Please forgive us if you find any of these questions inappropriate.

Section 1

Please skip to Section 2, if you are not married or have never been married.

1.1 Taking things all together, how would you describe your marriage?

Very happy

Pretty happy

Neither happy nor unhappy

Unhappy

Don't Know

1.2 Your parents: Taking things all together, how would you describe the marriage of your parents?

Very happy

Pretty happy

Neither happy nor unhappy

Unhappy

Don't Know

1.3 Your children: Taking things all together, how would you describe the marriage of your children?

Very happy

Pretty happy

Neither happy nor unhappy

Unhappy

No married children

1.4 Which one of the following statement best describes your marriage:

It was an arranged marriage with the initiative of our parents/relatives It was a marriage facilitated by parents/relatives It was a marriage facilitated by friends It was an arranged marriage based on our initiative We married ourselves without dating or any help from others We married after dating/courting

1.5 How did you first meet each other?Through:

Parents

Friends

Relatives

Imam / Community leader

Muslim matrimonial service

Non Muslim matrimonial service

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We are relatives

other

1.6 Where did you and your spouse first meet?

School

Masjid

Job

Islamic convention

Other

1.7 What role did your parents play in your marriage decision?

They decided for us They arranged it They facilitated it They just introduced us to each other They were not involved Other

1.8 Have you ever been divorced or legally separated?

Yes

No

Section 2

2.1 Do you think marriages are more successful in Western or in Muslim countries?

Western Countries

Muslim Countries

Why?

2.2 Do you agree that married people are generally happier than unmarried people?

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

Don't Know

2.3 What kind of relationship you would prefer with a spouse?

Where man has the primary responsibility for providing the household income and woman has the primary responsibility for the home and family Where both spouses equally share the responsibility for providing the household income and taking care of the home and family Don't know

2.4 What you would prefer in your social life with a spouse?

Where both of us do things together in our social life Where men and women do separate things that interests them Don't Know

2.5 Should divorce in your country be easier or more difficult to obtain than it is now?

Easier

Stay as is

More Difficult

Don't Know

2.6 Do you agree that divorce is usually the best solution, when a couple can't seem to work out their marriage problems?

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

Don't Know

2.7 Do you agree that when a marriage is troubled and unhappy, it is generally better for the children if the couple stays together?

Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither agree nor disagree

Disagree

Strongly disagree

Don't Know

2.8 If you were not living with both parents at age sixteen, why?

One or both parents died Parents divorced or separated Father absent in armed forces One or both parents in institution I Left home Don't Know